NEW YORK — Ukrainian tennis player Lesia Tsurenko has filed an amended lawsuit that accuses the WTA Tour and its chairman, Steve Simon, of a breach of contract, negligence and the “negligent infliction of emotional distress” because of the way it has handled Russian and Belarusian players amid the war in Ukraine.
Tsurenko, who was once among the world’s top 25, claims in the lawsuit that WTA executives – including Simon, who was its CEO at the time – failed to follow through on assurances made in a meeting with Ukrainian players that the organization would ban Russian or Belarussian players who publicly supported the war with Ukraine.
The amended lawsuit, filed Tuesday in federal court for the Southern District of New York, cited examples such as Russian player Veronika Kudermetova wearing a patch at the French Open for sponsor Taneft, a subsidiary of a company that was sanctioned by the European Union for helping to supply the Russian army.
“Despite this promise,” the lawsuit from Tsurenko claims, “neither Defendant Steve Simon nor Defendant WTA banned Russian and Belarus players who publicly supported the war.”
The WTA said in a statement to The Associated Press on Wednesday that it has been “steadfast and clear in its condemnation of Russia’s war on Ukraine and the actions of the Russian government against the Ukrainian people.”
“Consistent with our position,” the statement said, “the WTA has taken numerous steps to assist our Ukrainian player members, who have faced great challenges as professional athletes. The WTA has been equally clear that it was founded on principles of equality and non-discrimination and its rules provide that competitions are open to all women players who qualify based on their merit, and without discrimination. Consistent with those principles, and in common with other tennis organizations, the WTA has taken the position that individual athletes should not be penalized for the actions of their governments.”
Shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the WTA Tour, ATP Tour and International Tennis Federation issued a joint statement in which it said Russian and Belarusian athletes would be allowed to compete as long as they did not compete under their nation’s flags. That policy remains in place with Russian and Belarusian athletes competing at last year’s Paris Olympics as “Individual Neutral Athletes;” Russian players Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider won silver in women’s doubles.
Tsurenko’s lawsuit states that she was forced to withdraw from an event at Indian Wells because of a panic attack from having to potentially play against Russians and Belarusians, and that she had “developed excessive stress, loss of concentration affecting her performance at tennis games, mortification and injury to her feelings.”
Lindsay Brandon, the WTA director of safeguarding, informed Tsurenko in 2023 that Simon would be investigated for violating its code of conduct. But that October, the organization informed her that Simon had not violated its code nor any provision of the employee handbook. Tsurenko tried to appeal but was unsuccessful.
“Even in my worst nightmares, I couldn’t imagine that the professional tour, which I considered my home, would become a terrifying and alien place, where the (former) CEO of the organization consciously committed an act of moral abuse against me, leading to a panic attack and my inability to do my job,” Tsurenko wrote Tuesday on social media.
The initial complaint filed in November requests a trial by jury.
Proskaeur Rose, the law firm representing the WTA, filed a motion last month to dismiss the case on the grounds that Tsurenko’s claims were “legally defective.” The WTA has until April 30 to decide whether it will continue with its motion to dismiss.
“While the WTA has the greatest sympathy for the significant challenges that Ms. Tsurenko and our other Ukrainian athletes have faced,” its statement said Wednesday, “we are disappointed that she has decided to engage in litigation to seek to hold the WTA responsible for her distress. At all times, the WTA and its management acted appropriately and in accordance with our rules, and we are confident that we will prevail in this litigation.”
